Moorlach Wins State Senate Race, Avoids Runoff By a Hair

By Paul Anderson

Former Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach won today’s special election in the 37th Senate District, drawing slightly more than half the vote to avoid a runoff.

Moorlach had 50.4 percent of the vote, with all 248 precincts counted, according to figures released by the Orange County Registrar of Voters.

Assemblyman Don Wagner, R-Tustin, was second with 44.1 percent and Naz Namazi, an aide to Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, third at 3.5 percent.

All three candidates on the ballot are Republicans.

Democrat Louise Stewardson, a registered nurse and small business owner, was a certified write-in candidate, receiving 2 percent of the vote.

The special election was necessitated by the election of Mimi Walters to Congress.

The district includes Costa Mesa, Irvine, Lake Forest, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, Newport Beach, Tustin and Villa Park as well as portions of Anaheim Hills, Huntington Beach and most of Orange.

Moorlach, who once unsuccessfully tried to persuade his colleagues on the Orange County Board of Supervisors to change its term limits so he could run for a third term, told City News Service he decided to run for the Senate seat because so many of his well-wishers asked him to do it.

Wagner was endorsed by Walters.

• City News Service